BENJAMIN "BEN" TROTTER Jr.

TROTTER, Benjamin Inman Jr., 85, of Midlothian, died on February 26, 2012. Born in Lucedale, Miss., on August 28, 1926, he graduated early from Central High School in Jackson, Miss., to join the U.S. Navy in 1944. After serving in the Pacific, he earned a B.A. from the University of Alabama and a master's degree in music education from Columbia University and did post-grad work in counseling at Catholic University. He entered federal service as a management intern and was assigned to the Counseling and Testing Service of the U.S. Dept. of Labor, in Washington, D.C. In a 40-year career, he rose to become the Deputy Director of the Veterans Employment Service and then served in field posts in Roanoke and Richmond, retiring in 1995. Throughout his career, he led the music ministries of several Presbyterian and Baptist churches in the D.C., Roanoke, and Richmond areas. A man of faith, a music director and singer with a fine bass-baritone, he loved classical and sacred music, especially of J.S. Bach. He had a gift for bringing the same enjoyment to amateur singers. He performed leads in Gilbert & Sullivan operettas, "Annie Get Your Gun," "Amahl and the Night Visitors" and other musicals, and soloed in Handel's "Messiah." He was the Employment Chairman for the American Legion Department of Virginia, a member of local Post 186 in Midlothian, and a member-at-large of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He lived 32 years in Chesterfield County. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Susan Bender Trotter; six children, Amelia Thornton, Andrew Trotter, Martha Warner, Timothy Trotter, Jeannette McGlinsky and Paul Trotter; 15 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. March 13 at American Legion Post 186, 901 Otterdale Rd., Midlothian. In lieu of flowers, donations to Jill's House, jillshouse.org., which provides respite care for families of autistic children in Vienna, Va., are welcome. To sign the online register book, please visit www.shulerfuneralhome.com.


This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.